I included a little bonus up in the item descriptions and put in links to my searches on eBay. I feel like I'm an eBay searching master, so hopefully you'll enjoy what you find there. For your reference, I fit into a size 14-16 in children' jackets. Buying children's jackets is a great way to grab a good used motorcycle jacket for $20 when women's-sized pieces come in at over $100.

People who follow my strange rambling Twitter may remember that last week, I went to a fake NYE party. Los Angeles is like that -- you'll end up going to a lot of "fake" parties where people are filming things (this one was a music video), and then they eventually turn into real parties when the filming is over. So, this was my fake NYE outfit. Brit neglected to tell me that it was supposed to be a NYE party in 1999, but I assume this is because she knew I'd dress like a '90s train wreck anyway, without provocation. Rumor has it Mischa Barton was there wearing a Timothy Leary X Wildfox Couture collab shirt "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" (they didn't really collab on that -- if Timothy Leary had learned a little bit more about copyright law and a little bit less about LSD, though, he could have trademarked that slogan and made a pretty penny, I'll bet). Someone on my formspring asked if I would ever post photos of my boyfriend, since he is well-dressed and stuff, too. Here is a photo that Brit took of us at that fake-then-real party:

See? My-sized boyfriend in a matching motorcycle jacket. He is so handsome.

So I've been sitting here thinking about this for the last 20 minutes and I still feel weird about it: the bindi.

You've shared your thoughts on the use of the word "tribal" in fashion before and I feel like this is a semi-related topic so humor me while I get hypothetical for a minute. Suppose Santa brings you the most magnificent feathered headdress for Christmas. Would you abstain from wearing it to avoid any disrespect towards Native American culture? The headdress is visually impressive, but also a sacred ceremonial item of an ethnic minority that is and has historically been oppressed and marginalized by the race to which you belong, despite the fact that you yourself have not done any oppressing. I'm guessing this is a pretty easy "yes, I would not wear that" because 1. it's been widely discussed by Native Americans as being disrespectful and 2. you seem like pretty intelligent person who is aware of things like white privilege and 3. you're not a jerk. You may also not personally care for headdresses but that doesn't help frame this discussion like I want to.

In your opinion, is wearing a bindi different because Indians have not had to endure attempted genocide by white Americans, as Native Americans have? Does that mean a group of people need to endure a certain level of suffering at the hands of white Americans before we definitely declare their culture to be off-limits? Alternatively, is it okay because it's an item that is no longer worn solely as a religious symbol in India? Is that the criteria we (as members of the fashion community) then should use when appropriating items from other cultures? Does that peeve you at all, as an atheist? Does Gwen Stefani realize she is kind of a creepy cultural fetishist?

I'm not trying to be a jerk or call you out on this. I've spent a fair amount of time reading about the issue of cultural appropriation in trying to develop an informed opinion on it and I'm really interested in your thoughts. I hope all of this makes sense because I'm really hungover and my communication skills aren't exactly at their most polished. I also can't believe I just spent the last hour musing over a sparkly piece of felt stuck to someone's forehead.

KJ, thank you for taking the time to write this. I would not wear a feathered headdress because it is an item of great religious significance to a group of people whose land my family effectively stole (I am a DAR -- it hits home to me, as my family helped found this country). That, to me, would be like saying: "Hi, not only am I living on the land my people stole from yours, but I think that your little religious ceremonies are SO CUTE!" That is just wrong and gross and blech.

However, the bindi (as you said) is no longer just a sign of religious, spiritual, or social implication. Long before we westerners started wearing them, they had already evolved in native locations to be nothing more than a decorative item. As I just said on my formspring, wearing a bindi is not any more culturally insensitive than an American doing yoga or using chopsticks or eating a burrito.

As long as nobody is being exploited, I support elements of cultural crossover. Think about what a boring world it would be if we only embraced visual trends inherent to the geographic location into which we were born. By establishing arbitrary restrictions on our aesthetics, gourmet, architecture, reading materials, etc., we are actually contributing to a "we-they" mentality that is responsible for a lot of the irrational hatred and fear that exists in the world.

In short: stick a piece of felt on your head, world peace is imminent. Haha, hyperbole, but you get the gist.

Btw, I have to say that I love your blog followers. Unlike a lot of other blogs, I actually enjoy reading the comments you receive. It makes sense - because you write intelligent blog posts, you get intelligent responses. I personally agree with you on the bindi...but I really enjoyed reading the discussion around it.